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Governmental Affairs Committee |
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GAC Resources For GAC documents, announcements, and information please click here to visit the microsite. Home Day 2007 Toolkit To download the Home Day 2007 Click Here Upcoming Events
HELP THE GAC!
Dear FAMA/FEMSA member: In January, you received an e-mail from the FAMA/FEMSA Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) asking you to complete a survey that will help the GAC and its consultants learn what congressional relationships FAMA/FEMSA member companies have established. This information is essential to the GAC’s work to increase FAMA/FEMSA’s dialogue with federal government agencies in an effort to educate key officials on the important role our industry plays in providing equipment and services to the nation’s first responders. To help us enhance these efforts, we once again ask you to take a few moments to complete the enclosed survey. Specifically, this survey will help the GAC compile a comprehensive list of FAMA/FEMSA members’ locations and the congressional senators and representatives for those locations, an important step in establishing an educational network with the members of Congress and the administration. Please note that the survey can be conveniently completed online here. We also ask that the survey be completed as soon as possible. We have tried to keep this survey as simple and straightforward as possible. We thank you in advance for your assistance in this important effort. Sincerely, FAMA/FEMSA Governmental Affairs Committee
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Seven Best Practices for Emergency Notification Lawmakers Weigh Cutting FEMA Duties Muni WiFi helps Minneapolis cope with disaster Kentucky Masters Public-Private Partnerships
Industry Experts Discussing Recent News at FRI Fairfax, Va., Aug. 10, 2007... Just added—three new sessions on the latest incidents and crucial fire service topics presented by top industry experts. Get everything you need to stay ahead in today’s dynamic fire service at Fire-Rescue International (FRI), August 23–25 in Atlanta. For the full conference agenda, go to the FRI education page. Responding to the I-35W Bridge Collapse Richard B. Gasaway, Chief, Roseville Fire Department (MN) First-Hand from Command: Multiple Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths Billy Goldfeder, Deputy Chief, Loveland-Symmes Fire Department (OH); Lloyd Ayers, Commissioner, Philadelphia Fire Department (PA); Chief Pete Hayden, Retired Chief, New York City Fire Department (NY); Gerry Dio, Chief, Worcester Fire Department (MA); Charlie Dickinson, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator; Colleen Walz, Deputy Chief, Pittsburgh Fire Bureau (PA); Stan Gibson, Chief, Coos Bay Fire and Rescue Service (OR) Learning from the London Bombings Ken Knight, Fire Commissioner, London Fire Brigade Working media receive complimentary registration that includes access to all conference sessions, the exhibit hall, the general session and networking events. Register today at www.iafc.org/frimedia. Source: IAFC Seven Best Practices for Emergency Notification Colleges and universities are still reeling from the massacre at Virginia Tech in April and are looking for technology to improve emergency communication for times of crisis. So why do experts say it’s better to get best practices in place first? In an article on the Campus Technology website, Dian Schaffhauser says in the two weeks following the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings, “at least 14 vendors of campus communication solutions (and similar) released ‘thought pieces’ through the major PR wire services, with headlines such as, ‘Could Emergency Phone Notification Have Prevented Virginia Tech Massacre?’ ‘Rapid Notification Critical in Emergency Situations,’ ‘Personal Preparedness: Last Line of Defense in Tragic Shooting Situation,’ ‘Emergency Notification System Allows Schools to Reach Students Instantly,’ and ‘Campus Safety: How Do We Communicate During a Crisis?’” But the real question, Schaffhauser says, is whether or not technology can solve mass communication problems. Instead of jumping to find something, Schaffhauser says the experts recommend implementing some best practices first. “Those who have weathered campus emergencies that depended upon fast, effective communication with the campus community say technology is only part of the solution,” Schaffhauser adds. She then goes in-depth into seven of those critical best practices, including: 1) Know your resources and their alternatives 2) Internalize the plan via practice 3) Expect to make decisions based on incomplete information 4) The fewer people involved in decision-making and communication, the better 5) One size does not fit all: Simultaneously push alerts in different formats 6) Pre-define “Emergency,” and communicate it to the community 7) Layer your approaches to communication To read the full article, click here: link Source: Disaster Resource Guide Lawmakers Weigh Cutting FEMA Duties Charlie Savage WASHINGTON - Lawmakers and Bush administration officials are considering stripping the Federal Emergency Management Agency of its responsibility for long-term recovery efforts following a terrorist attack or natural disaster, the latest fallout from the agency's lackluster response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005. Under a proposal by Senator Mary Landrieu, FEMA would still run the initial response to future catastrophes - getting victims shelter, blankets, and food. But oversight of recovery efforts, which can go on for years, would become the responsibility of other federal agencies with expertise in specific areas: rebuilding housing, fixing roads, cleaning up hazardous spills, and supervising an area's economic revitalization. "FEMA wasn't built to lead the recovery from a catastrophic disaster and it is a wholly inadequate tool for that kind of situation," said Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana. "FEMA should stabilize the situation - i.e., establish shelters and get people into them. But at some point, say 50 to 90 days after the disaster, [the Department of Housing and Urban Development] should take over housing. Why? Because they do housing." Source: Firehouse.com Muni WiFi helps Minneapolis cope with disaster By Trudy Walsh When disaster strikes, communication systems are often among the first casualties. This was the case in Minneapolis after the Aug. 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. Cell phone service was jammed for hours after the collapse. Craig Settles, president of Successful.com, a technology consulting firm, said the city’s new municipal WiFi network was something of an unsung hero, helping the city coordinate its emergency response efforts after the collapse. Settles is the author of a 27-page report, “When Crisis Hits the Fan — Muni Wireless to the Rescue,” which details how municipal WiFi networks can help cities better cope with disaster. Settles this week released an addendum to the report that focused on the Minneapolis bridge crisis. When the bridge collapsed, Minneapolis’ municipal WiFi network was only partially finished and had never been tested for emergency response. Minneapolis CIO Lynn Willenbring called the city’s IT team together as soon as she heard about the collapse. Staff members prepared maps based on the city’s geographic information system to distribute via the city’s network to support personnel and the public. Joe Caldwell, CEO of USI Wireless, the vendor for the city’s wireless network, tried to call city offices to offer help, but he couldn’t get through because cellular service was jammed. He decided to open the city’s WiFi network for free for 24 hours to anyone who could use it. Network traffic jumped from 1,000 users to 6,000. People with WiFi-enabled phones could make voice calls, and anyone with a WiFi enabled laptop PC or other device could send instant messages, video, photos or e-mail. USI Wireless had to add extra access points to accommodate the increased demand. Having online access to the city’s GIS was crucial, Willenbring said. Areas needed to be identified for the command center and staging areas for the media, families and for clearing debris from the bridge. “Simply put, the ability to address all the GIS issues onsite, [in] real time and to readily share information throughout the command structure was invaluable,” Willenbring said. Source: GCN Kentucky Masters Public-Private Partnerships The state of Kentucky has improved its public access to state and federal services so much since 2004, it now ranks fourth in the country in a study conducted by Brown University. Is the improvement the result of increased public/private partnerships? According to an article by Carol Pinchefsky on the e-Week website, the state was ranked at number 44 in 2004, and has now jumped to fourth in the Brown study to evaluate access to services. “Kentucky’s success stems from a private-public partnership, a joint venture between private industry and public government, which implemented $650 million in invested capital,” Pinchefsky says. The partnership is known as ConnectKentucky. “FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate referred to ConnectKentucky’s success in the spectrum auction rules meeting July 31,” Pinchefsky says. “In fact, it was a key element of an FCC decision on the rules for the spectrum auction: Chairman Kevin J. Martin announced that the upper portion of the 700MHz spectrum—the “D Block”—will be used by first respondents during emergencies and will be shared with private companies.” According to Pinchefsky, this joint ownership could solve the problem of how the government can affordably use spectrum for emergency services. Art Brodsky, communications director of Public Knowledge, a Washington-based advocacy group with a focus on information technology, told Pinchefsky that licenses to use the airwaves will cost billions of dollars. Rather than have “the government pay for it all and have a dedicated network for public safety … you’d have the private sector footing the bill to get access to spectrum,” he said. Private companies will use the spectrum, but will relinquish control during emergencies. To read the full article, click here: link Source: GCN
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Jerry Donley Fire Department: Swetsonville Volunteer Fire Department Incident Description: After having worked an afternoon/evening fire call Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In memory and honor of Deputy Fire Tribute is being paid to Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Donley at Source: USFA The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Paul D. Baker Fire Department: Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department Incident Description: Lieutenant Baker lost his footing and fell from Funeral Arrangements: Arrangements are pending through Ashby's Funeral Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Memorials may be made to the Baker Tribute is being paid to Lieutenant Paul D. Baker at The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality: Name: Todd W. Hage Fire Department: Wesley Chapel Volunteer Fire Department Incident Description: Firefighter Hage was en route to an elementary Funeral Arrangements: Visitation will be held at 1000hrs, 08/15/2007 at Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In Honor of Firefighter Todd W. Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Todd W. Hage at Source: USFA
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FAMA/FEMSA GAC Hill Day - September 27, 2007 - Washington, DC |
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